This invention relates generally to fishing boats and more particularly to a structure that serves both as a livewell for storing freshly caught fish and as a bait well for storing a minnow bucket.
In bass tournaments and other fishing tournaments, it is a common requirement that the fish that are caught must be maintained in a live condition and released back into the lake or other body of water at the end of the tournament. Because of this and also to permit fish to be caught and kept alive in good physical condition for extended periods, some boats are provided with built-in livewells. The livewell is essentially a water tank in the boat that is large enough to hold the fish that are caught. Typically, water is circulated in the livewell by drawing water from its bottom portion and spraying water back in at the top above the water. Spraying the water through the air above the water level aerates the water so that air is made available to the fish in the livewell.
Minnows and other live bait are popular for use in fishing for crappie and various other small fish. The minnows are usually carried in a minnow bucket which is tied on a rope and suspended in the water over the side of the boat. The minnow bucket has holes in its side so that it fills with water when submerged.
In order to avoid harming the minnows, the minnow bucket must be pulled into the boat each time the boat travels between locations, and it must be thrown back over the side of the boat each time a new destination is reached. As can easily by appreciated, this procedure is cumbersome and detracts from the enjoyment of fishing. In addition, if the minnow bucket is inadvertently left hanging in the water while the boat travels at a significant speed, the minnows are destroyed.
The present invention is directed to a built-in well which serves the combined function of a livewell and bait well in a fishing boat. In accordance with the invention, a water tight tank is provided in a convenient location accessible to fishermen sitting on the fishing seats in the boat. An electric pump is operated by the battery of the boat and pumps fresh water from the lake into the well compartment. An overflow tube has a drain opening located near the top of the well compartment to drain off water so that the water level in the tank is maintained at the level of the drain opening. The water is delivered into the well compartment through a spray nozzle which sprays it into the air above the water level in order to aerate the water. Additionally, the nozzle is arranged to cause the water to move in a swirling pattern in order to keep it circulating. The pump can be cycled on and off by a timer switch, or it can be controlled by a manual switch.
Both a livewell and a bait well are provided in the well compartment. A panel having an opening sized to receive a minnow bucket permits the minnow bucket to be suspended from the panel with the bucket submerged in the water. The panel occupies only part of the well compartment, and the rest of the compartment remains unobstructed and provides room for live fish that have been caught. Consequently, the unit allows both newly caught fish and live bait to be maintained in a good condition in the aerated water contained in the well compartment. At the same time, the minnow bucket is readily accessible so that the fishermen can reach the bait from their fishing seats. Preferably, each half of the well compartment has its own hinged lid, and the lids can be provided with seat cushions so that they function as spare seats in the boat.